More than two dozen staff members at Addison Community Schools are being offered early retirement incentive packages to help chip away at a $350,000 projected end-of-year deficit.

Twenty-nine teachers are eligible for the early retirement package being offered by the district, the board of education was told at its meeting Monday. Superintendent Steve Guerra told the board that if at least three to four teachers retire or leave to start new careers elsewhere at the end of the school year, they will each receive $15,000. If five or more take the buyout, they will each receive $25,000.

Depending on where each teacher falls within the district pay scale, business manager Wendy Rokita said, that could save an average of $23,337 per position. There are 52 teachers in the school district.

The district last offered an early retirement incentive to its teachers in 2009.

Questions were raised during the board discussion time, including what the district would do to ensure outgoing teachers were replaced with quality instructors.

“How can we retain quality teachers when we keep giving them incentives to retire?” board member Brian Burt asked.

Guerra said the district has “been blessed” with a trend of highly qualified instructors after seasoned teachers leave the district.

Trustee Michael Murphy said though he is concerned about offering the incentive as a cost-saving measure, it is better to voluntarily do so than have to make “wholesale cutting” at the direction of the state.

The board voted 7-0 to approve the motion.

Guerra said the district’s three secretaries are also being offered an early retirement incentive of $10,000 each. The board also approved that action item in a 7-0 vote.

In other business

The Addison Community Schools Board of Education at its meeting Monday also:

— Approved its best practices incentive recommendation to receive an additional $52-per-student payment from the state for meeting seven of eight educational mandates.

— Heard from Guerra that the district has had an application approved for filing to start the process of launching a radio station at the school. The proposed station, which could be up and running next fall, would be student-run and would be used for educational and occupational purposes. It would also be used to broadcast sporting events live.

— Confirmed the Addison community Christmas tree-lighting ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 downtown, with entertainment, the Santa Lucia singers and a visit from Santa to follow in the high school auditorium.